Sharon Mckeown
About Sharon Mckeown
Sharon Mckeown serves as the Head of Financial Crime Compliance at Investec, where she has worked since 2014. With extensive experience in financial crime compliance, she has held various leadership roles in notable South African banks, contributing to the development of financial crime legislation in the region.
Current Role at Investec
Sharon Mckeown serves as the Head of Financial Crime Compliance at Investec, a position she has held since 2014. In this role, she provides strategic direction for compliance regarding Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Counter Financing of Terrorism (CFT) across the cluster and its subsidiaries. Mckeown administers the bank-specific compliance framework and ensures alignment with operational policies and standards. She manages a team of 10 direct reports and oversees 152 indirect reports within the Financial Crime Compliance department.
Previous Experience at Absa Group
Sharon Mckeown worked at Absa Group from 2007 to 2011, where she held two significant roles. Initially, she served as Compliance Manager/Manager Decentralized AML for two years, focusing on identifying compliance gaps and implementing solutions. Later, she became the Head of Financial Crime Compliance for one year, where she administered the compliance framework and maintained adherence to AML CFT standards across the bank and its subsidiaries.
Experience at Standard Bank and Nedbank
Mckeown has also worked at Standard Bank Group as an Anti-Money Laundering Consultant and Subject Matter Expert from 2011 to 2012. Following this, she served as Senior Manager: Money Laundering Control Officer at Nedbank from 2012 to 2014. In these roles, she provided coaching and regulatory support for AML initiatives and contributed to the development of compliance strategies.
Education and Qualifications
Sharon Mckeown has a strong educational background in financial management and business administration. She studied at Damelin, where she earned diplomas in Financial Management, Business Management, and Human Resources Development. Additionally, she obtained a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Oxford Brookes University, focusing on business administration principles.
Contributions to Financial Crime Legislation
Sharon Mckeown is recognized as a key contributor to the development of Financial Crime legislation in South Africa and across the African continent. Her expertise in compliance and regulatory frameworks has positioned her as a significant figure in the field, influencing best practices and legislative advancements in financial crime compliance.